WO2012144338A1 - Measurement collection method, base station, and wireless terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

This measurement collection method used in a mobile communication system has steps in which: a base station transmits a configuration message, which includes parameters related to measurement of a wireless environment, to a wireless terminal; and the wireless terminal, in accordance with the parameters included in the configuration message received from the base station, measures the wireless environment, and then reports measurement data which includes the results of the measurement and position information at the time of the measurement to a network that includes the base station. The base station includes, as one parameter, unrequired area information that indicates measurement-unrequired areas for which measurement data is unrequired within the configuration message and transmits the same. The wireless terminal excludes measurement data corresponding to the measurement-unrequired areas which have been indicated by the unrequired-area information from the data to be reported to the network, or stops measurement in the measurement-unrequired areas so as to report measurement data that includes the measurement results for other than the measurement-unrequired areas to the network.

Description

Measurement collection method, base station, and wireless terminal

The present invention relates to a measurement collection method, a base station, and a wireless terminal used for MDT.

In a mobile communication system, when a building is constructed around a base station or the installation status of a base station around the base station changes, the radio environment related to the base station changes. For this reason, conventionally, a drive test in which a measurement vehicle equipped with measurement equipment is used by an operator to measure a wireless environment and collect measurement results and position information at the time of measurement is performed.

Such a method can contribute to, for example, optimizing the coverage of the base station, but has a problem that the number of man-hours is high and the cost is high. Therefore, 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project), a standardization project for mobile communication systems, formulates specifications for MDT (Minimization of Drive Test), which is a technology that automates measurement and collection using wireless terminals owned by users. (See Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2).

As a kind of MDT, there is an immediate report type MDT (hereinafter referred to as Immediate MDT as appropriate). Immediate MDT is a method in which a wireless terminal in a connected state (connected mode) performs measurements according to parameters set from the network, and reports measurement results and position information to the network. Here, the connection state means a state in which the wireless terminal is performing communication.

Also, as a kind of MDT, there is a recording type MDT (hereinafter, referred to as Logged MDT as appropriate). In Logged MDT, a wireless terminal in an idle state (idle mode) measures a wireless environment according to parameters (measurement conditions) set from the network, and records measurement results as position data (and time information) as measurement data. The measured measurement data is reported to the network later. Here, the idle state means a state where the wireless terminal is interrupting communication (waiting, etc.).

In MDT, since a plurality of wireless terminals perform measurement under various conditions, it is considered that measurement data important for the network and measurement data that is not so are mixed.

However, in MDT, the wireless terminal records the measurement result as measurement data in all cases where the wireless environment or its state matches the measurement conditions, and reports all the obtained measurement data to the network. The operator may not be able to sufficiently collect important measurement data. In addition, when a lot of unimportant information is included, there is a possibility that the network recognizes a problem other than the true problem as an important problem and performs inappropriate optimization.

3GPP TR 36.805.V9.0.0: “Study on Minimization of drive-tests in Next Generation Networks”, 2009-12 3GPP TS 37.320 V10.0.0: “Radio measurement collection for Minimization of Drive Tests (MDT); Overall description; Stage 2”, 2010-12

A feature of the measurement collection method according to the present invention is a measurement collection method used in a mobile communication system (mobile communication system 1), in which a base station (base station eNB) includes a setting message including parameters related to measurement of a radio environment. To the wireless terminal (wireless terminal UE), and after the wireless terminal measures the wireless environment according to the parameter included in the setting message received from the base station, the measurement result Reporting measurement data including position information at the time of measurement to a network (E-UTRAN 10) including the base station, and the base station does not require measurement data as one of the parameters. Unnecessary area information indicating a measurement unnecessary area is included in the setting message and transmitted, and the wireless terminal is indicated by the unnecessary area information. The measurement data corresponding to the measurement unnecessary area is excluded from the report target to the network, or the measurement is stopped in the measurement unnecessary area, and the measurement data including the measurement result other than the measurement unnecessary area is transferred to the network. The summary is to report.

According to such a feature, the measurement unnecessary area can be designated on the network side, and the measurement data corresponding to the measurement unnecessary area can be prevented from being reported from the wireless terminal to the network. Unnecessary (unimportant) measurement data can be prevented from being collected. Also, by not collecting unimportant measurement data, the possibility of causing inappropriate optimization can be reduced.

Another feature of the measurement collection method according to the present invention is that, in the above feature, the base station or a host device of the base station (for example, the maintenance monitoring device OAM) does not require the measurement based on measurement data collected in the past. The gist is to further include a step of determining an area.

Another feature of the measurement collection method according to the present invention is that, in the above feature, the base station indicates a measurement target area that requires measurement data as one of the parameters in addition to the unnecessary area information. Information is included in the setting message and transmitted, and the unnecessary area information indicates the measurement unnecessary area in the measurement target area.

Another feature of the measurement collection method according to the present invention is that, in the above feature, the base station designates the measurement-unnecessary area with coordinates for the wireless terminal having a positioning function (for example, GPS receiver 230). The gist of transmitting unnecessary area information included in the setting message.

Another feature of the measurement collection method according to the present invention is the base station (base station eNB) of the mobile communication system (mobile communication system 1) according to the above feature, wherein the configuration message includes a parameter related to measurement of a radio environment. A transmitter (radio communication unit 110 and control unit 140) that transmits to a radio terminal (radio terminal UE), and the transmitter includes, as one of the parameters, a measurement result and position information at the time of the measurement. The gist is to transmit unnecessary area information indicating a measurement unnecessary area that does not require measurement data to be included in the setting message.

Another feature of the measurement collection method according to the present invention is the wireless terminal (wireless terminal UE) of the mobile communication system (mobile communication system 1) according to the above feature, wherein the configuration message includes a parameter related to measurement of the wireless environment. After measuring the radio environment according to the reception unit (radio communication unit 210) received from the base station (base station eNB) and the parameter included in the setting message received by the reception unit, the result of the measurement And a control unit (control unit 250) that controls to report measurement data including the location information at the time of measurement to the network (E-UTRAN 10) including the base station, and the parameter is the measurement data Including unnecessary area information indicating a measurement unnecessary area that does not need to be measured, and the control unit responds to the measurement unnecessary area indicated by the unnecessary area information. To exclude the measurement data to be reported from the network to be reported, or to stop the measurement in the measurement unnecessary area and report the measurement data including the measurement result other than the measurement unnecessary area to the network. The gist is to control.

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of a mobile communication system 1 according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the base station eNB according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the radio terminal UE according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining measurement-unnecessary area determination processing according to the first and second embodiments. FIG. 5 is an operation sequence diagram of the mobile communication system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing details of step S120 in FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing details of step S140 in FIG. FIG. 8 is an operation sequence diagram of the mobile communication system according to the first modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing details of step S240 in FIG. FIG. 10 is an operation sequence diagram of the mobile communication system according to the second modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is an operation sequence diagram of the mobile communication system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing details of step S450 in FIG. FIG. 13 is an operation sequence diagram of the mobile communication system according to the first modification of the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing details of step S550 in FIG. FIG. 15 is an operation sequence diagram of the mobile communication system according to the second modification of the second embodiment.

The first embodiment, the second embodiment, and other embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings in the following embodiments, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of a mobile communication system 1 according to the present embodiment. The mobile communication system 1 according to the present embodiment is configured based on LTE (Long Term Evolution) whose specifications are defined by 3GPP, and supports the above-described Immediate MDT.

As shown in FIG. 1, a mobile communication system 1 includes a radio terminal UE, an E-UTRAN (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) 10 that is a radio access network, a mobility management device MME / gateway device S-GW, And a maintenance monitoring device OAM. The E-UTRAN 10 includes a plurality of base stations eNB.

The radio terminal UE is a portable radio communication device possessed by the user. The radio terminal UE connects to any of the base stations eNB configuring the E-UTRAN 10 (including a case of connection via a relay device or a case of connection to a relay device), and a communication destination via the base station eNB It is configured to be able to communicate with. As described above, the state in which the radio terminal UE is executing communication is referred to as a connected state (connected mode), and the state in which the radio terminal UE is in standby is referred to as an idle state (idle mode).

Each base station eNB is a fixed radio communication apparatus installed by an operator, and is configured to perform radio communication with the radio terminal UE. Each base station eNB constantly transmits a reference signal, which is a radio signal configured to be able to identify the own station (own cell), by broadcasting. In addition, each base station eNB performs communication with the mobility management device MME / gateway device S-GW and communication with the maintenance monitoring device OAM via the backhaul.

The mobility management device MME is configured to perform various types of mobility control for the radio terminal UE, and the gateway device S-GW is configured to perform transfer control of user data transmitted and received by the radio terminal UE.

The maintenance monitoring device OAM is a server device installed by an operator, and is configured to perform maintenance and monitoring of the E-UTRAN 10.

In the present embodiment, the base station eNB to which the radio terminal UE is connected receives a Measurement Configuration (setting message) that is a message for setting Immediate MDT in the radio terminal UE, for example, in response to an instruction from the maintenance monitoring device OAM. It transmits to the radio terminal UE. The Measurement Configuration includes a plurality of configuration parameters (configuration parameters). The plurality of setting parameters include a parameter that specifies a base station eNB (cell) to be measured and a report trigger parameter that is a parameter that specifies a condition (trigger) to report measurement data to the E-UTRAN 10. The condition (trigger) to be reported is, for example, a periodic trigger, a trigger that RSRP / RSRQ from the serving cell falls below a threshold, or the like.

The radio terminal UE set to perform Immediate MDT changes the radio environment (specifically, reference signal reception power (RSRP) / reference signal reception quality (RSRQ)) for each base station eNB (for each cell) in the connected state. Measure and acquire position information at the time of the measurement. Then, when the report condition specified by the report trigger parameter is satisfied, the radio terminal UE reports measurement data including measurement result information and position information to the E-UTRAN 10. The location information is GPS / GNSS location information when the radio terminal UE has a GPS / GNSS function, and RF fingerprint information when the radio terminal UE does not have a GPS reception function. It is.

In the present embodiment, the plurality of setting parameters included in Measurement Configuration include a measurement unnecessary area parameter that is a parameter for designating a measurement unnecessary area that does not require measurement data. Even when the report condition specified by the report trigger parameter is satisfied, the radio terminal UE does not report measurement data obtained in the measurement unnecessary area specified by the measurement unnecessary area parameter to the E-UTRAN 10 And

The base station eNB that has received the measurement data from the radio terminal UE transfers the received measurement data to the maintenance monitoring device OAM. When the maintenance monitoring apparatus OAM finds a coverage problem based on the measurement data obtained in this way, the maintenance monitoring apparatus OAM performs network optimization for notifying the operator of the found coverage problem or for eliminating the coverage problem. Alternatively, the base station eNB may use the received measurement data for setting change to solve the coverage problem of the own station without transferring the received measurement data to the maintenance monitoring device OAM.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the base station eNB according to the present embodiment.

2, the base station eNB includes an antenna 101, a radio communication unit 110, a network communication unit 120, a storage unit 130, and a control unit 140.

The antenna 101 is used for transmitting and receiving radio signals. The wireless communication unit 110 is configured using, for example, a radio frequency (RF) circuit, a baseband (BB) circuit, or the like, and configured to perform wireless communication via the antenna 101. For transmission, the wireless communication unit 110 encodes and modulates a transmission signal input from the control unit 140, performs up-conversion and amplification, and outputs the result to the antenna 101. For reception, the radio communication unit 110 performs amplification and down-conversion of the received signal input from the antenna 101, performs demodulation and decoding, and outputs the result to the control unit 140.

The network communication unit 120 performs inter-base station communication with adjacent base stations using the X2 interface shown in FIG. The network communication unit 120 communicates with the core network (specifically, the mobility management device MME, the gateway device S-GW, and the maintenance monitoring device OAM) using the S1 interface shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the maintenance monitoring device OAM corresponds to an upper device of the base station eNB.

The storage unit 130 is configured using, for example, a memory, and stores various types of information used for controlling the base station eNB. The control unit 140 is configured using, for example, a CPU, and controls various functions provided in the base station eNB. In the present embodiment, the control unit 140 controls the radio communication unit 110 to include the above-described measurement unnecessary area parameter in the Measurement Configuration and transmit it to the radio terminal UE. Thus, in the present embodiment, the control unit 140 and the wireless communication unit 110 constitute a transmission unit.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the radio terminal UE according to the present embodiment. Here, an example in which the radio terminal UE has a positioning function (GPS function) will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the radio terminal UE includes an antenna 201, a radio communication unit 210, a measurement unit 220, a GPS receiver 230, a storage unit 240, and a control unit 250. The radio terminal UE may further include a user interface unit and a battery.

The antenna 201 is used for transmitting and receiving radio signals. The wireless communication unit 210 is configured using, for example, a radio frequency (RF) circuit, a baseband (BB) circuit, or the like, and configured to perform wireless communication via the antenna 201. For transmission, the wireless communication unit 210 encodes and modulates the transmission signal input from the control unit 250, and then performs up-conversion and amplification, and outputs the result to the antenna 201. For reception, the radio communication unit 210 performs amplification and down-conversion of the reception signal input from the antenna 201, performs demodulation and decoding, and outputs the result to the control unit 250.

In the present embodiment, the wireless communication unit 210 corresponds to a receiving unit that receives Measurement Configuration including the above-described measurement unnecessary area parameter.

The measurement unit 220 periodically measures the radio environment (RSRP / RSRQ) based on the reference signal received by the radio communication unit 210 from the E-UTRAN 10, and outputs the measured radio environment to the control unit 250.

The GPS receiver 230 receives signals from GPS satellites and periodically outputs GPS position information to the control unit 250.

The storage unit 240 is configured using, for example, a memory, and stores various types of information used for controlling the radio terminal UE and the like. The control unit 250 is configured using, for example, a CPU, and controls various functions provided in the radio terminal UE. The control unit 250 measures the wireless environment in accordance with each setting parameter included in the Measurement Configuration received by the wireless communication unit 210, and then transmits measurement data including the measurement result and position information at the time of measurement to E- Control to report to UTRAN10.

Hereinafter, a measurement collection method used in the mobile communication system 1 configured as described above will be described.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the determination process of the measurement unnecessary area.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the present embodiment, the storage unit 130 of the base station eNB stores measurement data for each of its own service area and the service area of the adjacent base station. The stored measurement data may store only the measurement data reported from the radio terminal UE, or the measurement data obtained by the measurement vehicle (measurement results obtained by the conventional drive test method from the core network to the network communication unit) The value input via 120) may also be stored together.

In addition, the storage unit 130 of the base station eNB holds a preset area resolution variable. In the present embodiment, the area resolution variable is X [m] · Y [m], and the self-service area of the base station eNB and the service area of the adjacent base station are divided into squares. -You may specify by a longitude and may employ | adopt the method of designating the distance and radius from the base station eNB, and dividing | segmenting into a circle shape.

The base station eNB's own service area and the adjacent base station's service area have the current position of the base station eNB as the origin (0, 0) and (m * X, n * Y) and ( It is logically divided into a plurality of square data collection grids with (m + 1) * X, (n + 1) * Y) as vertices. Here, m and n are integers, and the upper limit value and the lower limit value thereof are set separately.

The control unit 250 of the base station eNB reads the measurement data from the storage unit 130, and aggregates the measurement data corresponding to the range of each data collection grid. As a result of data aggregation for each data collection grid, if a sufficient number of data is collected for statistical processing within a certain period, it is determined that no further data collection is necessary, and the boundary between areas where data collection is not required Information (latitude and longitude, etc.) is notified to the radio terminal UE as a measurement unnecessary area parameter. Here, thresholds for the statistical processing period and the upper limit number of data are set in advance.

FIG. 5 is an operation sequence diagram of the mobile communication system 1 according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 5, in step S110, the base station eNB determines a measurement unnecessary area by the method described above. Details of step S110 will be described later.

In step S120, the base station eNB includes a measurement-unnecessary area parameter indicating the determined measurement-unnecessary area in the Measurement Configuration and transmits it to the connected wireless terminal UE. Further, the base station eNB also includes the report trigger parameter in the Measurement Configuration and transmits it to the connected radio terminal UE. The radio terminal UE receives a Measurement Configuration including a plurality of setting parameters (measurement unnecessary area parameters, report trigger parameters, etc.).

In step S130, the radio terminal UE stores a plurality of setting parameters included in the received Measurement Configuration.

In step S140, the radio terminal UE performs measurement of the radio environment according to the plurality of setting parameters stored in step S130, and includes the measurement data in the Measurement Report and transmits the measurement data to the base station eNB. Details of step S140 will be described later.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing details of step S110 in FIG. This flow is periodically executed by the base station eNB.

As shown in FIG. 6, in step S111, the control unit 140 of the base station eNB collects measurement data and stores the measurement data in the storage unit 130 for each data collection grid (see FIG. 4).

In step S112, the control unit 140 of the base station eNB determines whether there is a data collection grid in which the number of data is collected more than a threshold based on the measurement data stored for each data collection grid. Specifically, the number of measurement data is compared with a threshold value for each data collection grid, and it is determined whether there is a data collection grid in which the number of measurement data is equal to or greater than the threshold value.

When there is a data collection grid in which the number of measurement data is greater than or equal to the threshold (step S112; YES), in step S113, the control unit 140 of the base station eNB does not need to measure the data collection grid in which the number of measurement data is greater than or equal to the threshold. Determine as area.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing details of step S140 in FIG. This flow is periodically executed by the radio terminal UE until Immediate MDT ends.

As shown in FIG. 7, in step S <b> 141, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE acquires position information generated using the GPS receiver 230. The position information indicates the current position of the radio terminal UE.

In step S142, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE determines that the own terminal is in the measurement unnecessary area based on the position information acquired in step S141 and the measurement unnecessary area parameter (boundary information) stored in the storage unit 130. It is determined whether or not. Specifically, the control unit 250 determines whether the position (longitude / latitude, etc.) indicated by the position information acquired in step S141 is within the area boundary indicated by the measurement unnecessary area parameter stored in the storage unit 130. Determine whether or not.

When it is determined in step S142 that the terminal is in the measurement unnecessary area (step S142; YES), in step S143, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE shifts to the measurement report unnecessary mode. In the measurement report unnecessary mode, the control unit 250 generates measurement data including measurement result information by the measurement unit 220 and position information by the GPS receiver 230, and the report condition specified by the report trigger parameter is satisfied. Is also controlled not to report the measurement data to the base station eNB. Alternatively, the control unit 250 may control to stop the measurement by the measurement unit 220 in the measurement report unnecessary mode. This prevents measurement data in the measurement unnecessary area from being reported to the base station eNB.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S142 that the own terminal is not in the measurement unnecessary area (step S142; NO), in step S144, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE shifts to the measurement report execution mode. In the measurement report execution mode, the control unit 250 generates measurement data including measurement result information from the measurement unit 220 and position information from the GPS receiver 230, and when the reporting condition specified by the report trigger parameter is satisfied. The measurement data is included in the Measurement Report and transmitted to the base station eNB.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in Immediate MDT, a measurement unnecessary area can be specified on the network side, and measurement data corresponding to the measurement unnecessary area is not reported from the radio terminal UE to the E-UTRAN 10. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the operator from collecting unnecessary (unimportant) measurement data. Also, by not collecting unimportant measurement data, the possibility of causing inappropriate optimization can be reduced.

[First Modification of First Embodiment]
In the first embodiment described above, a measurement unnecessary area that does not require measurement data is specified from the network side to the radio terminal UE. However, in addition to the measurement unnecessary area, a measurement target area that requires measurement data. May be specified. In the present modification example, the measurement unnecessary area in the measurement target area is notified from the network side to the radio terminal UE. In other words, the measurement target area is an area that is wider than the measurement unnecessary area, and is specified in units of cells or tracking areas, for example. A cell is the minimum unit of a service area, and a tracking area is an area unit composed of a plurality of cells. Further, the method for designating the measurement unnecessary area is not limited to the coordinate designation as in the first embodiment described above, but may be designated in cell units.

FIG. 8 is an operation sequence diagram of the mobile communication system 1 according to this modification.

As shown in FIG. 8, in step S210, the base station eNB determines a measurement target area and a measurement unnecessary area. As a method for determining the measurement unnecessary area, as in the first embodiment, a method of determining an area where measurement data is sufficiently collected as the measurement unnecessary area can be adopted. On the other hand, as a method for determining the measurement target area, a method for determining, as a measurement target area, an area (cell or tracking area) with a small amount of measurement data, that is, an area (cell or tracking area) where the number of measurement data is less than a threshold value. Can be adopted.

In step S220, the base station eNB includes the measurement target area parameter indicating the determined measurement target area and the measurement unnecessary area parameter indicating the determined measurement unnecessary area in the Measurement Configuration, and transmits the measurement configuration parameter to the connected wireless terminal UE. . Further, the base station eNB also includes the report trigger parameter in the Measurement Configuration and transmits it to the connected radio terminal UE. The radio terminal UE receives Measurement Configuration including a plurality of setting parameters (measurement unnecessary area parameters, measurement unnecessary area parameters, report trigger parameters, etc.).

In step S230, the radio terminal UE stores a plurality of setting parameters included in the received Measurement Configuration.

In step S240, the radio terminal UE performs measurement of the radio environment according to the plurality of setting parameters stored in step S230, and includes the measurement data in the measurement report and transmits the measurement data to the base station eNB.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing details of step S240 in FIG. This flow is periodically executed by the radio terminal UE until Immediate MDT ends.

As shown in FIG. 9, in step S241, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE acquires position information. The location information includes, in addition to location information (longitude / latitude, etc.) obtained using the GPS receiver 230, for example, information for identifying a serving cell (serving cell) or information for identifying a serving tracking area. Note that the information specifying the serving cell or the information identifying the serving tracking area can be obtained from the reference signal from the E-UTRAN 10 or broadcast information.

In step S242, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE determines whether or not the own terminal is in the measurement target area based on the position information acquired in step S241 and the measurement target area parameter stored in the storage unit 130. Determine whether. Specifically, the control unit 250 measures the measurement target cell indicated by the measurement target area parameter stored in the storage unit 130, as indicated by the position information acquired in step S <b> 142. Alternatively, it is determined whether or not it is within the measurement target tracking area.

When it is determined in step S242 that the own terminal is not in the measurement target area (step S242; NO), in step S243, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE shifts to the measurement report unnecessary mode. The operation in the measurement report unnecessary mode is the same as the operation described in the first embodiment.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S242 that the own terminal is in the measurement target area (step S242; YES), in step S244, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE stores the position information acquired in step S241 and the storage. Based on the measurement unnecessary area parameter (boundary information) stored in the unit 130, it is determined whether or not the own terminal is in the measurement unnecessary area. Specifically, the control unit 250 determines whether the position (longitude / latitude, etc.) indicated by the position information acquired in step S241 is within the area boundary indicated by the measurement unnecessary area parameter stored in the storage unit 130. Determine whether or not.

When it is determined in step S244 that the own terminal is in the measurement unnecessary area (step S244; YES), in step S243, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE shifts to the measurement report unnecessary mode.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S244 that the own terminal is not in the measurement unnecessary area (step S244; NO), in step S245, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE shifts to the measurement report execution mode. The operation in the measurement report execution mode is the same as the operation described in the first embodiment.

As described above, according to this modified example, in Immediate MDT, the measurement target area can be specified on the network side in addition to the measurement unnecessary area, and the measurement data corresponding to the measurement unnecessary area in the measurement target area is wirelessly transmitted. Since it is possible to prevent the terminal UE from reporting to the E-UTRAN 10, it is possible to prevent the operator from collecting unnecessary (unimportant) measurement data while collecting measurement data for a specific cell or tracking area. it can.

[Second Modification of First Embodiment]
In the first embodiment described above, the measurement-unnecessary area is notified from the network side to the radio terminal UE by coordinate designation regardless of whether or not the radio terminal UE has the GPS receiver 230. It is also possible to notify the radio terminal UE from the network side by specifying the coordinates of the measurement unnecessary area after confirming that the GPS receiver 230 is included.

FIG. 10 is an operation sequence diagram of the mobile communication system 1 according to this modification. In FIG. 10, the processes other than step S320 and step S330 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore, the processes of step S320 and step S330 will be described here.

In step S320, the connected radio terminal UE transmits UE Capability, which is a message including capability information indicating the capability of the terminal itself, to the base station eNB. The capability information includes information indicating whether or not the radio terminal UE has a positioning function (GPS receiver 230). The base station eNB receives the UE capability.

In step S330, the base station eNB determines whether or not the radio terminal UE has a positioning function (GPS receiver 230) based on the received UE capability. And only when it is determined that the radio terminal UE has a positioning function (GPS receiver 230), the base station eNB includes the measurement-specified area parameter specified by coordinates in the Measurement Configuration and transmits the measurement configuration to the radio terminal UE. .

[Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment described above, the method for specifying the measurement unnecessary area in the Immediate MDT has been described. In the present embodiment, a method for specifying the measurement unnecessary area in the Logged MDT will be described.

In the Logged MDT, the radio terminal UE measures and records the radio environment from the E-UTRAN 10 in the idle state, and reports measurement data to the E-UTRAN 10 when shifting from the idle state to the connected state. Hereinafter, a process in which the radio terminal UE appropriately generates and records measurement data is referred to as “logging”.

Since the configuration of the mobile communication system 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, a measurement collection method according to the second embodiment will be described below.

FIG. 11 is an operation sequence diagram of the mobile communication system 1 according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, in step S410, the base station eNB determines a measurement unnecessary area. The method for determining the measurement unnecessary area is the same as in the first embodiment.

In step S420, the base station eNB includes a measurement unnecessary area parameter indicating the determined measurement unnecessary area in the Logging Configuration (setting message), and transmits it to the connected wireless terminal UE. In addition, the base station eNB also includes a logging trigger parameter for specifying a condition (trigger) for logging in the Logging Configuration, and transmits it to the connected radio terminal UE. The radio terminal UE receives Logging Configuration including a plurality of setting parameters (measurement unnecessary area parameters, logging trigger parameters, etc.).

In step S430, the radio terminal UE stores a plurality of setting parameters included in the received Logging Configuration.

In step S440, the radio terminal UE shifts from the connected state to the idle state.

In step S450, the radio terminal UE performs logging according to the plurality of setting parameters stored in step S430. Details of step S450 will be described later.

In step S460, the radio terminal UE performs a connection process with the base station eNB, and in step S470, the radio terminal UE shifts from the idle state to the connected state. Note that the base station eNB that performs the connection process here may be different from the base station eNB at the time of Logging Configuration.

In step S480, the radio terminal UE transmits an RRC Connection Setup Complete indicating that the connection process with the base station eNB is completed to the base station eNB. Here, the radio terminal UE includes information indicating that measurement data is recorded (held) in the RRC Connection Setup Complete and transmits the information to the base station eNB.

In step S490, when the base station eNB determines to acquire the measurement data held by the radio terminal UE, the base station eNB transmits a UE Information Request requesting the measurement data report to the radio terminal UE.

In step S491, the radio terminal UE transmits (reports) the held measurement data to the base station eNB according to the UE Information Request received from the base station eNB.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing details of step S450 in FIG. This flow is periodically executed by the radio terminal UE until the Logged MDT (logging) is terminated.

As shown in FIG. 12, in step S451, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE acquires position information generated using the GPS receiver 230. The position information indicates the current position of the radio terminal UE.

In step S452, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE determines that the own terminal is in the measurement unnecessary area based on the position information acquired in step S451 and the measurement unnecessary area parameter (boundary information) stored in the storage unit 130. It is determined whether or not. Specifically, the control unit 250 determines whether the position (longitude and latitude, etc.) indicated by the position information acquired in step S451 is within the area boundary indicated by the measurement unnecessary area parameter stored in the storage unit 130. Determine whether or not.

When it is determined in step S452 that the own terminal is in the measurement unnecessary area (step S452; YES), in step S453, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE shifts to the logging unnecessary mode. In the logging unnecessary mode, the control unit 250 generates measurement data and controls not to record the measurement data in the storage unit 240 even if the logging condition specified by the logging trigger parameter is satisfied. Alternatively, the control unit 250 may control to stop generating the measurement data in the logging unnecessary mode, or may control to temporarily store the measurement data in the storage unit 240 and delete it. This prevents measurement data in the measurement unnecessary area from being reported to the base station eNB.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S452 that the own terminal is not in the measurement unnecessary area (step S452; NO), in step S454, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE shifts to the logging execution mode. In the logging execution mode, the control unit 250 generates measurement data including information on the measurement result by the measurement unit 220, position information by the GPS receiver 230, and a time stamp, and the logging condition specified by the logging trigger parameter is satisfied. When this is done, control is performed so that the measurement data is recorded in the storage unit 240.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the Logged MDT, a measurement unnecessary area can be designated on the network side, and measurement data corresponding to the measurement unnecessary area is not reported from the radio terminal UE to the E-UTRAN 10. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the operator from collecting unnecessary (unimportant) measurement data. Also, by not collecting unimportant measurement data, the possibility of causing inappropriate optimization can be reduced. Furthermore, the memory capacity and power consumption of the radio terminal UE can be reduced by interrupting the logging in the measurement unnecessary area.

[First Modification of Second Embodiment]
In the second embodiment described above, a measurement-unnecessary area that does not require measurement data is specified from the network side to the radio terminal UE, but in addition to the measurement-unnecessary area, a measurement target area that requires measurement data. May be specified. In the present modification example, the measurement unnecessary area in the measurement target area is notified from the network side to the radio terminal UE. That is, the measurement target area is an area that is wider than the measurement unnecessary area, and is specified in units of cells or tracking areas, for example. A cell is the minimum unit of a service area, and a tracking area is an area unit composed of a plurality of cells. Further, the method for designating the measurement unnecessary area is not limited to the coordinate designation as in the second embodiment described above, but may be designated in cell units.

FIG. 13 is an operation sequence diagram of the mobile communication system 1 according to this modification.

As shown in FIG. 13, in step S510, the base station eNB determines a measurement target area and a measurement unnecessary area. As a method for determining the measurement unnecessary area, as in the first embodiment, a method of determining an area where measurement data is sufficiently collected as the measurement unnecessary area can be adopted. On the other hand, as a method for determining the measurement target area, a method for determining, as a measurement target area, an area (cell or tracking area) with a small amount of measurement data, that is, an area (cell or tracking area) where the number of measurement data is less than a threshold value. Can be adopted.

In step S520, the base station eNB includes the measurement target area parameter indicating the determined measurement target area and the measurement unnecessary area parameter indicating the determined measurement unnecessary area in the Logging Configuration, and transmits them to the connected radio terminal UE. . The base station eNB also includes the logging trigger parameter in the Logging Configuration and transmits it to the connected radio terminal UE. The radio terminal UE receives Logging Configuration including a plurality of setting parameters (measurement unnecessary area parameters, measurement unnecessary area parameters, logging trigger parameters, etc.).

In step S530, the radio terminal UE stores a plurality of setting parameters included in the received Logging Configuration.

In step S540, the radio terminal UE shifts from the connected state to the idle state.

In step S550, the radio terminal UE performs logging according to the plurality of setting parameters stored in step S530. Details of step S550 will be described later. Further, the processes after step S560 are the same as those in the second embodiment described above.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing details of step S550 in FIG. This flow is periodically executed by the radio terminal UE until the Logged MDT (logging) is terminated.

As shown in FIG. 14, in step S551, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE acquires position information. The location information includes, in addition to location information (longitude / latitude, etc.) obtained using the GPS receiver 230, for example, information for identifying a serving cell (serving cell) or information for identifying a serving tracking area. Note that the information specifying the serving cell or the information identifying the serving tracking area can be obtained from the reference signal from the E-UTRAN 10 or broadcast information.

In step S552, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE determines whether or not the own terminal is in the measurement target area based on the position information acquired in step S551 and the measurement target area parameter stored in the storage unit 130. Determine whether. Specifically, the control unit 250 uses the measurement target cell indicated by the measurement target area parameter stored in the storage unit 130 to indicate the position indicated by the position information acquired in step S551 (the visited cell or the visited tracking area). Alternatively, it is determined whether or not it is within the measurement target tracking area.

When it is determined in step S552 that the own terminal is not in the measurement target area (step S552; NO), in step S553, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE shifts to the logging unnecessary mode. The operation in the logging unnecessary mode is the same as the operation described in the second embodiment.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S552 that the own terminal is within the measurement target area (step S552; YES), in step S554, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE stores the location information acquired in step S551 and the storage. Based on the measurement unnecessary area parameter (boundary information) stored in the unit 130, it is determined whether or not the own terminal is in the measurement unnecessary area. Specifically, the control unit 250 determines whether the position (longitude and latitude, etc.) indicated by the position information acquired in step S551 is within the area boundary indicated by the measurement unnecessary area parameter stored in the storage unit 130. Determine whether or not.

When it is determined in step S554 that the own terminal is in the measurement unnecessary area (step S554; YES), in step S553, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE shifts to the logging unnecessary mode.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S554 that the own terminal is not in the measurement unnecessary area (step S554; NO), in step S555, the control unit 250 of the radio terminal UE shifts to the logging execution mode. The operation in the logging execution mode is the same as the operation described in the second embodiment.

As described above, according to this modified example, in Immediate MDT, the measurement target area can be specified on the network side in addition to the measurement unnecessary area, and the measurement data corresponding to the measurement unnecessary area in the measurement target area is wirelessly transmitted. Since it is possible to prevent the terminal UE from reporting to the E-UTRAN 10, it is possible to prevent the operator from collecting unnecessary (unimportant) measurement data while collecting measurement data for a specific cell or tracking area. it can.

[Second Modification of Second Embodiment]
In the second embodiment described above, regardless of whether or not the radio terminal UE has the GPS receiver 230, the measurement unnecessary area is notified from the network side to the radio terminal UE by coordinate designation. It is also possible to notify the radio terminal UE from the network side by specifying the coordinates of the measurement unnecessary area after confirming that the GPS receiver 230 is included.

FIG. 15 is an operation sequence diagram of the mobile communication system 1 according to this modification. In FIG. 15, processes other than step S620 and step S630 are the same as those in the second embodiment, and therefore the processes of step S620 and step S630 will be described here.

In step S620, the connected radio terminal UE transmits UE Capability, which is a message including capability information indicating the capability of the terminal itself, to the base station eNB. The capability information includes information indicating whether or not the radio terminal UE has a positioning function (GPS receiver 230). The base station eNB receives the UE capability.

In step S630, the base station eNB determines whether or not the radio terminal UE has a positioning function (GPS receiver 230) based on the received UE capability. Then, only when it is determined that the radio terminal UE has a positioning function (GPS receiver 230), the base station eNB includes the coordinate-designated measurement unnecessary area parameter in the Logging Configuration and transmits the parameter to the radio terminal UE. .

[Other Embodiments]
As mentioned above, although this invention was described by embodiment, it should not be understood that the description and drawing which form a part of this indication limit this invention. From this disclosure, various alternative embodiments, examples and operational techniques will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

In each embodiment described above, the base station eNB determines the measurement unnecessary area based on the collected measurement data. However, the maintenance monitoring apparatus OAM may collect measurement data, determine a measurement unnecessary area based on the collected measurement data, and notify the determined measurement unnecessary area to the base station eNB.

In each of the above-described embodiments, an example is described in which the measurement unnecessary area once set is maintained, but the measurement unnecessary area once set may be configured to be initialized. For example, when it is necessary to resume data collection, data collection resume notification may be sent to the radio terminal UE. Or when setting a measurement unnecessary area, you may notify the duration (time-out time) of the said setting.

Thus, it should be understood that the present invention includes various embodiments and the like not described herein.

Note that the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-092512 (filed on April 18, 2011) are incorporated herein by reference.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a measurement collection method, a base station, and a wireless terminal that can make it easy for a network to collect important measurement data in MDT.

Claims (6)

A measurement collection method used in a mobile communication system,
A step in which the base station transmits a setting message including a parameter relating to measurement of the wireless environment to the wireless terminal;
After the wireless terminal performs measurement of the wireless environment according to the parameter included in the setting message received from the base station, measurement data including the measurement result and position information at the time of the measurement, Reporting to the network including the base station;
Have
The base station transmits, as one of the parameters, unnecessary area information indicating a measurement unnecessary area that does not require measurement data included in the setting message,
The wireless terminal excludes measurement data corresponding to the measurement unnecessary area indicated by the unnecessary area information from a report target to the network, or stops measurement in the measurement unnecessary area, and other than the measurement unnecessary area A measurement collection method characterized by reporting measurement data including the measurement results to the network. The measurement collection method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of the base station or a host device of the base station determining the measurement unnecessary area based on measurement data collected in the past. In addition to the unnecessary area information, the base station transmits, as one of the parameters, target area information indicating a measurement target area that requires measurement data included in the setting message,
The measurement collection method according to claim 1, wherein the unnecessary area information indicates the measurement unnecessary area in the measurement target area. 4. The base station transmits the unnecessary area information in which the measurement unnecessary area is designated by coordinates included in the setting message to the wireless terminal having a positioning function. The measurement collection method according to claim 1. A base station for a mobile communication system,
A transmission unit that transmits a setting message including parameters relating to measurement of the wireless environment to the wireless terminal;
The transmitting unit transmits, as one of the parameters, unnecessary area information indicating a measurement unnecessary area that does not require measurement data including a measurement result and position information at the time of measurement included in the setting message. Base station characterized by A wireless terminal of a mobile communication system,
A receiving unit for receiving a setting message including parameters relating to measurement of the wireless environment from the base station;
A network including the base station, after measuring the wireless environment according to the parameter included in the setting message received by the receiving unit, and including measurement data including the measurement result and position information at the time of the measurement A control unit controlling to report to,
Have
The parameter includes unnecessary area information indicating a measurement unnecessary area that does not require measurement data,
The control unit controls to exclude measurement data corresponding to the measurement unnecessary area indicated by the unnecessary area information from a report target to the network, or stops measurement in the measurement unnecessary area and performs the measurement. A wireless terminal that controls to report measurement data including measurement results other than unnecessary areas to the network.

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